Morgan's mouth twisted. "You wouldn't have to pay attention to anything. You'd only have to write here and ask," he said, as he accepted the cigarette. He watched Basil light his own, enjoying the clicks it made and the glint of the flame's light against the metal, but after that was done he lit his own by wandpoint. "If you think my mother doesn't already have a list of every invitation worth responding to by the time Hogwarts lets out for winter, you've never met her." His mother had always been a consummate socialite. Nee was less involved in all of that than she was, so he wouldn't have been able to furnish up a list of all his comings and goings that far in advance, but he knew if the information was needed he'd be able to get it out of her easily enough. It might earn him a little extra badgering about why he wanted to know (and possibly some push in the direction of marriageable young women), but if it would help smooth things over with Basil's family it was worth the hassle.
"What is he hoping to get out of it?" Morgan mused with a frown. "If he's trying to push you to find someone to settle down with, you'd think he'd set about doing that himself first." Nee was also aware that Atticus wasn't thrilled by Basil's choice of profession in academia (or that he was so often away at Hogwarts), but going to parties hardly seemed likely to change any of that. It wasn't as though someone was likely to offer him a new job while he was filling out their dance card. Men went to parties for only three reasons, in Morgan's opinion: they enjoyed them (mostly the case with Morgan, though seldom the case with Basil); they were expected to be seen there as part of Society (more Atticus' job than Basil's, in Morgan's humble opinion — whoever cared what second sons were getting themselves up to?); they were on the hunt for a wife.
"What is he hoping to get out of it?" Morgan mused with a frown. "If he's trying to push you to find someone to settle down with, you'd think he'd set about doing that himself first." Nee was also aware that Atticus wasn't thrilled by Basil's choice of profession in academia (or that he was so often away at Hogwarts), but going to parties hardly seemed likely to change any of that. It wasn't as though someone was likely to offer him a new job while he was filling out their dance card. Men went to parties for only three reasons, in Morgan's opinion: they enjoyed them (mostly the case with Morgan, though seldom the case with Basil); they were expected to be seen there as part of Society (more Atticus' job than Basil's, in Morgan's humble opinion — whoever cared what second sons were getting themselves up to?); they were on the hunt for a wife.
